The present invention relates broadly to motion upholstery furniture designed to support a user's body in an essentially seated disposition. Motion upholstery furniture includes recliners, incliners, sofas, love seats, sectionals, theater seating, traditional chairs, and chairs with a moveable seat portion, such furniture pieces being referred to herein generally as “seating units.” More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved linkage mechanism developed to accommodate a wide variety of styling for a seating unit, which is otherwise limited by the configurations of linkage mechanisms in the field. Additionally, the improved linkage mechanism of the present invention provides for reclining a seating unit that is positioned against a wall or placed within close proximity of other fixed objects.
Reclining and lifting seating units exist that allow a user to forwardly extend a footrest, to recline a backrest rearward relative to a seat, and to lift the seat for easy ingress and egress thereof. These existing seating units typically provide three basic positions (e.g., a standard, non-reclined closed position; an extended position; and a reclined position), and a seat-lift position as well. In the closed position, the seat resides in a generally horizontal orientation and the backrest is disposed substantially upright. Additionally, if the seating unit includes an ottoman attached with a mechanical arrangement, the mechanical arrangement is collapsed such that the ottoman is not extended. In the extended position, often referred to as a television (“TV”) position, the ottoman is extended forward of the seat, and the backrest remains sufficiently upright to permit comfortable television viewing by an occupant of the seating unit. In the reclined position the backrest is pivoted rearward from the extended position into an obtuse relationship with the seat for lounging or sleeping. In the seat-lift position, the recliner mechanism is typically adjusted to the closed position and a lift assembly raises and tilts forward the seating unit in order facilitate entry thereto and exit therefrom.
Several modern seating units in the industry are adapted to provide the adjustment capability described above. However, these seating units require relatively complex linkage mechanisms to afford this capability. The complex linkage assemblies limit certain design aspects when incorporating automation. In particular, the geometry of these linkage assemblies impose constraints on incorporating or mounting a single motor thereto. Such constraints include the motor, during extension and/or retraction when adjusting between the positions mentioned above, interfering with crossbeams, the underlying surface, or moving parts attached to the linkage assembly. Accordingly, two or more motors with substantially extensive strokes are generally required to accomplish automating a full range of motion of a lifter-recliner seating unit. As such, a more refined linkage mechanism that achieves full movement when being automatically adjusted between the closed, extended, reclined, and even seat-lift positions would fill a void in the current field of motion-upholstery technology.
Further, motorized adjustment of the conventional complex linkage mechanisms often causes the ottoman(s) and the backrest of the seating unit to move out of sequence. For example, when adjusting from the closed position to the extended position, a pressure generated by the occupant's legs on the ottoman(s) may cause resistance in extending the footrest assembly. As a result of the resistance, the motorized adjustment may commence reclining the backrest out of sequence until full travel of a predefined stroke is attained. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention pertain to a novel linkage mechanism that is constructed in a simple and refined arrangement in order to provide suitable function while overcoming the above-described, undesirable features inherent within the conventional complex linkage mechanisms.